A DUDLEY man has been jailed for his part in a County Lines drug gang which peddled heroin and crack cocaine worth £1m from the Black Country to Telford and Blackpool.
Dean Groom, aged 30, was sentenced to two years three months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine.
He was part of a gang which has been jailed for a combined total of more than 40 years for running two county lines drug operations and exploiting vulnerable members of the community.
The ‘Avon Line’ supplied crack cocaine to Telford in Shropshire, while the ‘Blacky Line’ supplied the popular coastal resort of Blackpool in Lancashire.
The drugs lines, operating from Tipton and Walsall, were run over a three year period between 2018 and 2021. It’s estimated that during that time the gang sold more than 10kg of Class A drugs including heroin and crack cocaine with a street value of over £1 million.
The 10-strong County Lines gang was led by Sylvanus Coker and Tobeijah Atkinson.
They directed, organised and controlled the lines, and employed members of their gang to peddle drugs to the communities of Telford and Blackpool.
At Birmingham Crown Court last week ten of the gang were sentenced.
Coker was jailed for 15 years and six months and Atkinson was given nine years.
Detective Constable Christopher Bradley said: “Led by Coker and Atkinson, the gang peddled heroin and crack cocaine worth £1 million into communities in Telford and Blackpool.
“There they targeted the most vulnerable, ruining lives and blighting communities. We are pleased this gang has been taken off our streets and are now spending time behind bars."
*Sylvanus Coker, aged 44, from Walsall – 15 years and six months after being found guilty of conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine.
*Tobeijah Atkinson, aged 38, from Tipton – nine years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine.
*Dean Groom, aged 30, from Dudley – two years three months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine.
*Benjamin Davies, aged 32, from Wolverhampton – seven years and eight months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine.
*Joshua Reynolds, aged 23, from West Bromwich – three years and six months after being found guilty of conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine.
*Kahdel Henry, aged 30, from Tipton - six years and three months after being found guilty of conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine.
*Scott Louden, aged 45, from Wolverhampton – five years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine.
*Stephen Wright, aged 38, from Tipton – two years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine.
*Ayomide Ogunbodede, aged 24, from Wolverhampton – five years and one month after pleading guilty to supplying heroin and cocaine.
*Rachel Wiley, aged 42, from Willenhall – will be sentenced at a later date.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here